1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an adapter for controlling a measuring device, a measuring device, a controller for a measuring device, a method for processing measurement and a recording medium.
2. Description of the Related Art
It is conventional to use measuring devices for objects to be measured in order to perform production assessment, quality control, repair, correction, alignment, adjustment, performance evaluation, diagnosis, import inspection, etc. One example of conventional technologies for controlling measuring devices is to couple a measuring device to a computer through GPIB (General Purpose Interface bus, IEEE488). The measuring device is controlled according to commands transferred from the computer through GPIB. In the above case of controlling a measuring device by a computer through GPIB, a GPIB communication card dedicated for measuring device control is required.
Another example of conventional technology is to use a measuring device capable of running a control program coded in a programming language, such as BASIC. The control program on a floppy diskette is input to the measuring device, and it runs the control program for performing measurement process. According to a Japanese patent application (Laid-Open Serial No. 1998-241089(U.S. Pat. No. 05,790,977)), a measuring device stores software for control of the measuring device and data acquisition from the measuring device. The software is loaded on a remote host system, and the remote host system runs the software to control the measuring device.
Recently, computer networks, for example Ethernet, have developed drastically, so that communication speed has increased and communication costs have decreased. Therefore, in order to connect a measuring device to a computer through Ethernet, a measuring device equipped with an Ethernet port as one of standardized parts is disclosed.
Further, in order to control a measuring device through Ethernet, an Ether-GPIB converter is used to mediate GPIB and Ethernet. In this case, a computer sends control commands to an Ether-GPIB converter, and the Ether-GPIB converter sends received control commands to the measuring device through GPIB. The Ether-GPIB converter sends measuring data from the measuring device through Ethernet.
However, according to the conventional system where the measuring device and the computer is connected through GPIB, since control commands must be transferred through GPIB for every operation of a parameter setup or measurement, the communication time becomes very long. Further, it is impossible to construct the control program run by the computer without detailed knowledge of the measuring device.
According to the conventional measuring device which performs a measuring process by running a control program, control commands can be transferred through a bus of the measuring device so that the communication time can be reduced. However, constructions to display the measured results are not facilitated. Further, it is also impossible to construct the control program run by the computer without detailed knowledge of the measuring device.
In case the Internet or an Intranet is used as the Ethernet, since communication packets other than communication commands are present, the time when control commands from the computer arrive at the Ether-GPIB converter is indefinite. Therefore, the measuring device is not to be properly controlled. In addition, the time when measured data transferred by the measuring device arrives at the computer from the Ether-GPIB converter is also indefinite. Further, since Ethernet is designed for transferring packet data of, for example about 1000 bytes, when a plurality of data consisting of dozens of bytes are transferred, it is possible to occur overhead and, in the worst case, the measuring device can become uncontrollable.